Flexible tape



B. C. MILLER Oct. 5, 1937.

FLEXIBLE TAPE Filed Jan. 29, 1936 r m W I N 2 Z v T K. MN f 0 1 M Patented Oct. 5 1 937 PATENT OFFICE FLEXIBLE TAPE Bert C. Miller, Montclair, N. J. Application January 29, 1936, Serial No. 61,279

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to tapes or rib-' bons, especially but not exclusively to those made of a non-fibrous cellulosic material, cellulose acetate, gelatin, etc. Such tapes, on account of their highly ornamental appearance, are now being used extensively as a substitute for twine in tying packages. It hasbeen observed, however, that, when passing such tapes around packages and tying them tightly,'there is a tendency on the part of the tapes to snap. The main object and feature of this invention is to overcome this difficulty. The tendency to snap has generally been assumed to be due to an inherent weakness in the .tape, but I believe that it is caused, when crossing the sharp edges of the tape over each other, by the cutting action of said sharp edges which effects a severance of the tape. In any event, I have found that it is possible to bodily deform the material without destroying its surface and that by providing the tape with one or more longitudinally extending permanently deformed zones that permit the tape, when crossing its edges, to collapse transversely withoutbreaking the surface thereof that said edges can be prevented from severing the tape when so crossing them. 7

In the accompanying drawing the invention is disclosed in several concrete and preferred forms in which:

Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are plan views showing different methods of deforming the tape;

Fig. 4 shows a tape embodying my invention with its edges crossed;

Fig. 5 shows a mechanism by means of which the tape of my invention can, be produced, and is a transverse sectional view substantially on the plane of line 55 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view substantially on the plane of line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

l indicates a flexible and relatively narrow tying tape of uniform thickness, preferably of a non-fibrous cellulose material. In Fig. 1, two substantially continuous longitudinal. zones of deformation 2 and-3 adjacent the edges of the tape are shown, while in Fig. 2 a centralzone of deformation 4 is indicated. In both Figs. 1 and 2, the deformation is effected by straight longitudinal corrugations in the material as will be more clearly apparent from Fig. 5 in which the tape of Fig. 1 is shown in section. The extent of the zone (number of corrugations) and the number of zones will depend somewhat upon the width of the tape and, if that be very narrow, the zone can cover the entire surface of the tape. In Fig. 3, the deformation 5 is effected by sinuous longitudinal corrugations, and it will be apparent that these corrugations as well as the others can be made a part of the decorative feature of the tape. It will be observed that when the edges of the tape are crossed, as in tying the tape around a package 6, the tape will collapse transversely as indicated at X and will prevent the sharp edges from severing the material.

Figs. 5 and 6 show two rollers l and 8 having complementary hills and valleys 9 and id in the place where it is desired toproduce the zones of deformation. Roller I is preferably mounted in rigid bearings H, but roller 8 is yieldingly mounted in sliding boxes [2 supported by springs l3 and having their movement limited by adjustable set screws M. The rollers are rotatable and the material is passed between them thus subjecting it to a yielding pressure that corrugates it and gives it a permanent set without destroying its surface.

The material of which the tape is made can be either single-ply or multi-ply as in either event it will be understood that the edges are relatively sharp.

I claim:

Asa new article of manufacture, a flexible and relatively narrow tying tape of uniform thickness having relatively sharp edges and composed of a material that is capable of bodily deformation without destroying its surface, said tape provided with one or more substantially continuous longitudinally extending permanently deformed zones that permit it, whencrossing its edges, to collapse transversely without breaking thesurface thereof to thereby prevent said edges from severing the tape when so crossing them.

' BERT C. MILLER. 

